Update: This is the Finnish team's
latest dispatch translated in its entirety: [Unedited! Our Editorial Comment does follow]:

"We've had
discussions with other expedition leaders and according to those discussions
the situation is this: On 14th of May three of the Norwegian team sherpas went
to put the fixed ropes in place above 8300m. Because of the bad weather the
attempt was unsuccessful and one sherpa got three frostbitten fingers. The
sherpas returned to ABC (6400m). Meanwhile our expedition had already ascended
to Camp 1 (7100m) for the summit attempt on the 15th. We didn't receive any
information to Camp 1 or ABC that there were no fixed ropes so we were under
the impression that all ropes are in place above 8300 meters and we don't need
take ropes with us. On 20th of May during Tomi and Arri's summit attempt we
discovered that there were no fixed lines. Why didn't anyone inform us about
it? We have asked this from several expedition leaders and no-one seems to be
responsible for it. After one sherpa of the Norwegian team was frostbitten
other expedition leaders weren't too eager to send sherpas above 8300m for
understandable reasons. The sherpas of Russel Brice and the Himalayan
Experience concentrated on supplying their clients with oxygen and taking
equipment to higher camps instead of doing the job they had agreed to do,
which was to fix the ropes along the route.

On 18th of
May the Norwegians and Indians were fed up with waiting for the ropes to be
fixed and called for a meeting between expedition leaders. Well at least
between the leaders of the nearby teams, because where our tents are located
we were able to find by quickly asking around 5 teams (including us) who
didn't know about this meeting or the fact that there were no fixed ropes yet
above 8300 meters. In that meeting the leader of the Indian team asked who
would like to do the job because it didn't seem to be getting ready with
Russel in charge. Four people said yes: the Indian airforce team, the
Norwegian team, the Russian team and the Indian army team. If this information
had reached us on the 18th day, our summit team could have returned to Camp 1
or ABC to rest. But no-one pays any attention to small expeditions here, it's
the money that does the talking...Originally we were going to fix the ropes on
the difficult sections ourselves but based on the agreement we made with other
teams in CBC (basecamp), we left all the ropes reserved for that purpose to
CBC. We have 60 meters of rope in ABC, which would have been enough to tackle
the most difficult sections, but we left that behind too because we were told
on the 14th that it won't be needed since all the fixed ropes will be in place
no later than on the 17th, which would have been ok for our summit attempt.

Tomi and
Arri were the first ones to leave for the summit on 20th of May and so then
there were no fixed lines above 8300 meters. They took some rope from the
northeast ridge ja fixed a rope on the First step. Getting the rope took so
much time that they had to turn back on the summit ridge at 12.30 and return
to Camp 2. Today on Saturday 21st of May we found out that all the fixed ropes
were put in place before noon. Today a couple of people also finally reached
the summit from the north side of the mountain. It looks like that for many
reasons, our summit attempt took place one day too early. So we didn't reach
the summit. Anyway, until Friday the 20th we were the team who had reached the
highest altitude and we did that without any sherpa assistance. We opened the
trail. The team proud of its achievements."

According
to another dispatch by the Finnish team, the highest altitude Tomi and Arri
reached during their summit attempt was the Second step (8630m).

Previous Update

Update: "Unfortunately Tomi
and Arri of the Finnish team had to turn back before the summit. The Finnish
team were told by the Himalayan Experience that all fixed ropes are in place
but in fact for some reason there were no fixed lines high up. The two are now
back in camp 2 and will continue their way down to abc tomorrow."

Previous Update

Note: This is
UNCONFIRMED, but from a reliable source: Again this is totally unconfirmed!
(very hard to confirm news right now!!)

Update: Tomi and Arri
are on their way back down near camp 2 after their summit attempt, but
there is no news yet if the attempt was successful.

Update May 20th, 2005: 6.30 p.m. (Nepalese time) Two
members of the Finnish team (Tomi and Arri) are at camp 3 (8300m). Tonight
they will pack their packs and leave for the summit attempt at midnight.

The team
who tries to reach the summit of Everest:

Arri Leino
32y Espoo/Finland

Veli-Pekka
Mölsä 42y Espoo/Finland

Teijo
Lehtinen 44y Varese, Italy

Arto
Suolanen 33y Anjalankoski/Finland

Tomi Myllys
32y Vantaa/Finland

Tero
Järvinen 31y Tuusula/Finland

Heikki
Karinen 40y Tampere/Finland

Finland Everest 2005

Members:

No

Full Name

Nationality

01

Mr. Veli Pekka (Molsa)

Finland

02

Mr. Tomi Pekka Myllys

Finland

03

Mr. Arri Jero Aleksi Leino

Finland

04

Mr. Arto Aatos Tapani S.

Finland

05

Mr. Heikki Mikael Karinen

Finland

06

Mr. Tero Juhani Jarvinen

Finland

07

Mr. Teijo Olavi Lehtinen

Finland

Nepali Staff

01

Mr. Chhauwa Sherpa

Cook

They are
all very experienced climbers, their route is from Tibet side on the north
side. A lot of research work around high altitude illness will be done.

More coming soon!

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